Tire trimmer



jam2,1923.

R. MCCLENATHEN ET AL.

TIRE TRIMMER. F|LED SEPT 8,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1 11xy r1 1|||||||||||||||| Jam, 2,9 E923,

R. MCCLENATHEN ET AL.. T1 RE TRIMMER. F l LED SEPT 8, 1921 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Jam., 29 QZ L-ylg R. McCLENATHEN ET AL. TIRE TR|1\1|vll-:Rb FILED SEPT 8. 1921. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Patented dano 2,

NETE@ taten PATENT FFTCO ROBERT MCCLENATHEN AND HARRY G. ARTHUR. @F AKRON, 01511120, ASSIGNORS T0 KELLY-SPRINGIFTELD TERE CMPANY, 0F AKEN, OHM), A CORPORATEON Git NEW JERSEY.

application 'led September 3, 1921. Serial No. 499,]l0.

To a?? ywhom 1' f may concern Be it known that \\'e.'Rom-:n'r MCCLENA- 'ri-IEN and HARRY (if. ARTHYR. citizens ot the lvnited States. residing at kron. in the.

.'county of Summit and State ot Uhio. have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in a ri`ire Trimmer. of which the tollowing is a specification.

'lhis invention relates to a machine for trimming the excess trom articles ot manufacture in order that their appearance and utilityv may be enhanced, and more especially to the trimming of mold overflow incidental to the production ot rubber tires: for instance. such as are produced bv the molding lrecess disclosed in lvnted States Letters atent No. 1380085 ot May 31st. 19:21. to Charles li. 'Walton 'lhe particular object ot the invention is to provide a device for etiiciently and expeditiouslyv trimming the 'tires in amore economical manner than heretofore accomplislied manually. A further object is to attain substantiallyv an automatic device requiring only that an operator teed the untrimmed tire into position and remove it upon the completion ot the trimming. As a still further object the mechanism isdesigned to automatically adapt itselt to the handling of tiresot varying diameters without necessitating adjustments.

'To the attainment of these and other uselul objects, this invention .consists in the construction and novel combination ot parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the drawings and speciticall Y claimed.

A n embodiment of tie invention is disclosed. by Way ot illustration, in the accompanying drawings, in Whichzy Vlitigare l is a side elevation of the assembled machine.

Figure 2 is an end view. showing the tront or operating end.

Figure is an enlarged top vievv of the Heating cutter head assembl.

Figure d is an enlarged elevation ot the floating cutter head taken at the osition approximately indicated at liville in Fig. 2.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through the cutter head at approximately the plane indicated at lv-Y in Fig 3.

K Figure A6' is a diagrammatic plan view ot the gearing below the level ot the bed plate.

Figure i' is a diagrammatic elevation at approximately the plane lill-YH of Fig. 6. loolring to the rear.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic elevation at approximatelyv the plane Willi-Fill of Fig. 6. looking to the front. t

Referring particularly to the drawings. the general description will be given-'by reference numerals common to like parts throughout, it heilig noted that where the mechanical enpedients adopted are obvious to those well-skilled in the' art only general reference thereto will be made Reterring especially to Figs. 1 and 2. the fundamenta-l principle will be briedy disclosed in order that the detail description ot' the operating gear may be readilyv oomprehended. Mounted on the trame A is a rigid bed plate B, upon which the driving motor "N" and other associated gearing is located. By suitable transmission the upper tire rotating rollers Gf on their hired centers, and the lower rollers ll-ll, on their swinging centers, are caused to turn in the same direction at the same speed tor the purpose ot revolvingy a tire M into the rotary cutters within the Heating head D. lin order that the tire may be placed upon the rollers the lower set ill is designed to alternately swing outwardly to trictionally enter' the gaping bead void when the oscillating trame C is actuated by its cam K and to relax inwardly a sudicient degree to permit ot the tire being rested on the rolls G and passed. over the outside ot rolls H whereby an outward swing ot the latter will clamp and rotate the tire. lin order that the the lift rod F which is actuated by the cam J suitabl mounted on the same cam shaft with cam and so timed in relation therewith that the head D rises from the tire while the rolls H are relaxing and drops into operating contact with the tire when the rolls H have again been forced outwardly in frictional engagement with an untrimmed tire.

It will be understood that the machine is of the continuously running, semi-automatic type; the only operation required of the attendant, who, of course, is unskilled labor, is that of putting a tire on and taking it od' at the proper time, the time for his effort being indicated automatically by the peri-A4 odic lifting of the head D.

Tire revolving .gear and amar-A spur i gear 10 on the motor shaft drives the main spur gear 11 which has a horizontal shaft 12 terminatin in a bevel gear 13 meshing with a similar type gear 14. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 7 g) Vertical shaft 15 is keyed to the gear 14 and transmits the prima-ry power to the associated gearing below the bed plate in two separate transmisslons. First the cam shafts 16 are actuated through their attached worm wheels 17 in engagement'with the worm 18 on shaft 15 which is suitably journaled in afoot bearing 19..

rlhe second transmission system drives the tire rotating rollers G and H, as fol!-` lows :-lntermediate the length of shaft 15 (see- Figs. 6,7, and 8) is a bevel gear 20 meshing with a similar member 21 keyed f on counter shaft 22 'which` terminatesi'n a spur gear 23 meshing with similar gears 24 Gr, Rotation of lower .rollers is effected through miter gear 26yon shaft 25 f meshing with a similar gear 27 on the shortl swinging .transmission shaft 28 which terminates in a second gear 29 [mounted just above the lower end .of 28- in its journal on oscillating frame C. VMiter gear 30 on one end of lower roller 'shaft is in mesh l the head of same K, the frame C 1t is here noted thatl shaftBlT-is journaled .in the lower portion of oscillating frame tension arm 33 fulcrumed atl-34 to the -end f frame (l. -The roller 32 is yieldingly kept in contact with the cam K for a portion of its cycle by tension spring 35 surrounding bolt 3.6 and reacting against and the outer face of 33, the bolt being retained within a lug 37 on the reference to Figs. 1, 3, 4 and 5 the lcutter drive contained within the floating arm C. llt-is thus apparent that the function of the tension device is to adord re! and tire residing in the resilientpressurel exerted atA all times during the trimming cycle. (See Fig. 2.

By reference to that the cam K is'in engagement with thc mechanism resulting in spreading the rolls .'H into yielding clutch with the tire during the trimming cycle and that cam J c which controls the reciprocation of the floating cutter head D is in the od position, whereby the cutter is permitted to contact by gravity with the work. The lifting of the cutter head D out of contact with the tire is accomplished when the cycle igs. 2 and Sit is noted brings cams J into contact with the rollers 38 suitably journaled intermediate the links 39, one end of each bein pinned to thc lower end of lift rod the opposite ends being pinned to the free ends of swinging arms 40 vwhich are journaled on the horizontal tie rods 4l uniting the opposed elements of frame It is thu's evident that the simultaneous contact of the cams J ,with the rollers 38 will, through their as- Y' vsocia'ted linkage, cause the head D to rise and fall at regular intervals in timed relation with the oscillation of the frame C f with its associated mechanism. on shaft 25 which drives the upperrollers @utter head nwckamsm.-By particular rotary head D will be understood.4 0n the c tremeend of the motor shaft a pulley 42 is keyed, over which a belt 43 is run, theY 44 attached opposite end'driving a pulley to one of the spindles of one of the rotary cutters. A belt tightener is located on the belt length, comprising an idler 45 on the end of an arm 46 which is suitably fulcrumed at 47 on a brace extending from the bed plate B. Depending from the arm 46 isa suitable weight 48 which exerts a uniform tension on the-belt in compensation for the rise and fall of the entire head D.

The tog of the lift rod F vterminates in a brac et 49 suitably attached to a casting 50 slidably mounted on the guide rod E, a stud 51 horizontally projects withinl a bearing 52 on the casing` 53 whereby the entire knife element may be angularly adjusted about its horizontal center at will. In order that the torque set'up by'contact of the rotating tire with the cutters, tending to twist' the head about its vertical journal post E shall be countered, a roller 54 is providedon the rear end of bracket.

' the pullev -l-l. lWithin the casing 53 are a pair of knife spindles 5S keyed at one end to the gears 5? and at their extremities to rot-ating knife heads 59 to which spirally directed knives 60 are suitably attached. the whole being encased by al guard 6l. Fixed near the bottom of each rotating head 59 is a fixed bladeholder 6:2 suitably attached to a non-rotating portion ot the casing 53 and supportin r a tixed blade 63 which is adjustable by suitable set. screws to slide along the sides of the raised tread portion of the tire to act as a guide, and also constituting one blade of a shear of which the rotating blades 60 are the other and between which the projections 6l on the tire are made to pass and be sheared therebetween.

The depth of the cut made by the knives ti() is regulated by a runner 65 (see l `ig. t)

which contacts with the tlat central portion of the tire tread. between the projections to be trimmed, and slides thereon7 whereby the tendency ot the head D to prese too deeply into the tire structure is arrested and controlled. rll`he runner is suit-ably housed within vertical guides in the hired casing and is vertically adjustable by means ot a set screw 66.

As the knives 60 rotate at a high speed only two are shown on each carrier, but it is apparent that any type of rota knife blade and any number thereof may e provided to accomplish the purpose; also that any type of fixed shear blade may be resorted to.

ln the illustrative embodiment of this invention duplex cutters revolving in opposite directions and operatin Y to trim oli' the peculiar overow tips characteristic of the particular tire shown in Letters Patent 1380085 have been shown. llt is apparent that this disclosure is not limited to the exact mechanism shown, nor to the particular operation chosen as an illustration of its utility. .its regardsithe mechanism oit the 4rotary cutter. that element might be of the 4.range ot the appen ed claims.

Having tlms described our invention what e claim and desire to protect by Letters latent is:

1. A machine. of the character described.y comprising a trimming element: means for holding and rotating an article having peripheral excesses requiring removal. said holding and rotating means being automatically controlled whereby the article is intermittently fed to the trimmer and removed therefrom at the completion of the operation: and means for intermittently applying and removing the trimmer automatically in timed relation with the intermittent feed and release of the holding and rotating means.

2. machine of the character described7 i comprising a rotary trimming element having means for automatically applying and removing said element intermittently to and vfrom the work; means for positioning and rotating the work with respect to the trimmer. said means having automatic control whereby the work is intermittently grasped and released in timed relation with the operation of the trimmer mechanism.

3. i-i machine ot the character described, comprising a trimming element having means for automatically applying and removing said element intermittently to and from the work; means for positioning and rotating the work with respect to the trimmer, said means comprising a luralit ot rotating elements. some of w ich yieldingly grasp the annular `work whereby operative contact may be had with annular articles ot varying diameters without adjusting the grasping means 4t. machine ot' the character described., comprising a power-driven rotary trimmer having means for automatically applying and removing said element to and from the lperiphery of an annular article having an excess thereon to be removed; power-driven rotary means for positioning and resiliently' 11o grasping and rotating the work with respect to the trimmer` said grasping means being automatically controlled to remain in contact with the Work during the trimming operation and to release same at the completion; and means in timed relation with the gras ing means for automaticall relating tie contact of the trimmer Witi the work to the operative period of said grasping means.

5. A machine ot the. character described, comprising a duplex trimming element consisting of rotary power-driven blades adapted to remove the eripheral excess from an annular article o manufacture; means tor positioning and rotating said article Whereby the excess is removed by the trimmer; and means for automatically applying and removing the trimmer with respect to the work intermittently in timed relation With other means for automatically and intermittently grasping and releasing the Work.

V6. ln a tire trimming machine, a duplex head comprising power-driven knives in opposed sets and rotated in opposite direction;

an adjustable stationary blade on each op.

ripheral excess to be removed, said means comprising a pair of rollers adapted to in termittently grasp and release the tire in vtimed relation with the operating period of the trimmer, and other rollers having fixed centers and adapted to rotate and position the work with respect to the trimmer, of a rotary trimmer comprising knives and fixed shear blades, said trimmer vhaving means for automatically and intermittently applying the blades to the rotating Work in timed relation with the operating period of the grasping and releasing roller means 8. A semi-automatic tire trimming machine adapted to remove the peripheral excess from a molded tire, comprising rotary trimming means and Work positioning and rotating means, said trimming and Work manipulating means being correlated by power drive means adapted to intermittently operate the trimming means on the work in related time to the operative cycle of the Work positioning and rotating means. '9. A semi-automatic trimming machine adapted to remove the peripheral excess from an annular ring-like article of manufacture, comprising rotary trimmers and Work-manipulating means adapted to intermittently expose the Work to the influence of the trimmers, and correlated driving means for the trimmers and work-manipulating means, said correlated driving means being adapted to effect relative movement of the trimmers and the work-manipulating means whereby a trimming operation is effected throughout at least a full rotation of the ring-like article by its manipulating means.

l0. A semi-automatic trimming machine adapted to remove the peripheral excess from an annular ring-like article of manufacture, comprising, in combination, means for resiliently grasping and rotating the article, trimming means adapted to operate upon the periphery of the article during its period of rotation, and means for automatically moving the trimming means toward and away from the periphery` of the rotating article in timed relation with its period of rotation. Y

` l1. A device of the character described, comprising in combination, means for resiliently grasping and rotating an annular ring-like article in automatically controlled c cles a trimmin device com risin rotar cutting blades, a guide to regulate the depth of entry of said blades into the article tol be trimmed, and cooperating means for rof tating the ring-like article and the trimming means whereby the trimming device is alternately applied to and removed from operative contact with the article, periodically.

lln testimony whereof We alix our signatures.

ROBERT MCCLENATHEN. HARRY G. ARTHUR. 

